


What Is a Birthday?

by I May Age Regress (shnuffeluv)



Series: Gibbs' Family [7]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Party, Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play, Presents, Tony DiNozzo & Jethro Gibbs Father-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-24 00:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17694194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/I%20May%20Age%20Regress
Summary: Tony's first birthday while he's at NCIS is coming up, and Gibbs has a surprise or two in store for him.





	What Is a Birthday?

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist posting a birthday fic on my birthday, the urge was too strong and I lost. XD But I love this story and I hope you will too!

It had been three months. These three months had flown by, and DiNozzo couldn't quite believe that it had been that long that Gibbs had known his secret, and was willing to be his Papa. DiNozzo was hard at work currently, as he had come in early fully intent on getting the last of his paperwork done so he could play with some of the cold cases he'd been meaning to take a look at. He could tell Gibbs was somewhere around the office, as DiNozzo could smell the coffee. But he didn't know where, and he didn't know if Gibbs would swoop in and expect DiNozzo to do some nigh-impossible task.

As it was, Viv came into the room, sighing and letting her go-bag down at her desk, looking over at DiNozzo. "You good, DiNozzo? You look a little tired," she said.

DiNozzo shrugged off her concern. "I came in a little early today to get ahead on paperwork."

"Ugh, don't remind me that we have to do that," Viv groaned. "My fingers are going to kill me by the time we're done."

Thinking that the conversation was basically wrapped up at that remark, he was completely blindsided by Viv's next question. "But you coming in early doesn't usually mean you look that out of it. Is something going on?"

DiNozzo rolled his eyes up to the ceiling in mock thought. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He wasn't feeling fantastic, because September thirteenth was coming up, but Viv didn't need to know about that, or what it entailed. Still, if she decided to nose in his file, she might make the correct assumption about why he didn't like the thirteenth, and that wouldn't do at all. "My birthday is coming up, but other than that, I can't think of anything," he said with a shrug.

"That a fact, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, walking in.

DiNozzo almost started. Almost. "Well, yeah, Boss. You've seen my file."

"That I have," Gibbs agreed.

Viv moved to stand up. "Dead body somewhere?" she asked.

"Probably, but none for us," Gibbs said, sitting down. "Finish your paperwork."

Viv groaned and buried her head in her hands and DiNozzo laughed. "Hey, Viv, it could be worse. You could have to do all of  _Gibbs'_  paperwork."

"That doesn't help!" she moaned, looking over at DiNozzo with desperation. "I will do anything for you to help me with this."

"Sorry, Viv, I've still gotta finish my own stuff," DiNozzo said. "Maybe when I finish I can go over your stuff and give you pointers, but that's...really about all I can do."

Viv sighed and went back to her own work, and DiNozzo let himself get lost in the dull buzz of paperwork and idle chatter with people who dropped by to ask one favor or another of him. It was nice to not have to think about his birthday for a little bit. Thinking about that usually meant disappointment and loneliness. Whenever he was younger, he'd see birthday parties in the movies and wonder why he never got those, or anything more than his dad remembering he existed long enough to say, "Happy birthday, Junior." As he got older, he realized that other kids got birthday parties but he never did. At first it had stung, but after a while he just became numb to it. He never told anyone his birthday just so he couldn't be disappointed by anyone forgetting. And that had continued through the present day. The only people who knew about his birthday were the people who had to, and he was just fine with that.

Gibbs tapped the top of his desk, and DiNozzo looked up. Viv had left, presumably to get lunch. It was just him and Gibbs in the bullpen. He felt some sort of dread build in the pit of his stomach, for reasons he couldn't explain. He knew he couldn't be in trouble, he had been working on paperwork all morning. "Something you need, Boss?" DiNozzo asked.

There was a pregnant silence after that question, during which DiNozzo could only hear the blood rushing through his ears. "I was just curious," Gibbs said. "The way you play up almost everything that happens at work, I would have figured you'd milk your birthday for all it was worth. Not to say that's all you do, or all you are, because we both know better, but...Viv doesn't."

DiNozzo sighed. He knew he was blushing by the heat in his face, but he couldn't stop it, and he just ducked his head and mumbled, "My birthday wasn't a big deal growing up."

"Never?" Gibbs asked.

DiNozzo shook his head. "Not for as long as I could remember."

"Did you ever have a birthday party?" Gibbs pressed, bewildered.

"Other kids did," DiNozzo laughed. "But dear old Dad never did anything like that for me."

Gibbs' face was unreadable save for a brief flicker of pain. "Okay, I guess that makes sense," he said. "Still, why don't you come over to my place on your birthday? It has to be better than being alone."

DiNozzo brightened at that, if only marginally. Gibbs might not make a big deal out of his birthday, considering he was Gibbs, but not being alone on yet another birthday sounded very nice. "Sure, Boss, I'd like that. Though the fact that you think I'd not go out on my birthday otherwise to try and get some is frankly insulting."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and shook his head, going back to his desk. "You going somewhere for lunch?" he asked.

DiNozzo checked the time. He shook his head. "I'll probably just go to the vending machine for a snack later, I want to finish my paperwork first."

"Okay," Gibbs said. "Just don't pass out on me, okay?"

DiNozzo laughed. "Yeah, no, I won't."

The two got back to work and Viv walked in soon after with a bag, placing a sandwich on DiNozzo's desk. "Figured I'd get you something, Tony, just because you seemed so absorbed in your work. Ham and swiss, nothing special about it, but it's something to eat."

DiNozzo smiled. "Thanks, Viv."

Viv nodded and went back to her own desk, getting to work on her own reports. DiNozzo forgot about his and Gibbs' conversation, save for a vague warmth in his chest. It was nice to know he wouldn't spend his birthday alone yet again.

* * *

The day of DiNozzo's birthday came, and he pulled up outside Gibbs' house, feeling his stomach flip from nerves despite himself. He walked through the door to find Gibbs sitting on his couch, reading a newspaper, and his smile was all Papa, leaving Tony little in seconds. "Hey, birthday boy! How you feeling?"

Tony shuffled on his feet and said, "Good," with a happy smile. "You remembered."

"Well, of course I remembered," Papa said, only grunting a little when Tony walked over and plopped himself down on Papa's lap. "And I have a little surprise for you, because it's your birthday!"

Tony turned to look at Papa in shock. "A surprise?" he asked.

"Mhm," Papa said, with that mysterious happy smile he got when he was pleased with himself. He grabbed a cone-thing off the table and put it on Tony's head. "You and I are gonna have a little birthday party, just the two of us!"

Tony's eyes widened. "A birthday party? For me?!" he asked. He had never heard of anything  _half_  as amazing as Papa throwing him a birthday party!

"Mm-hm," Papa said, clearly pleased with himself. "We've got a pizza, just for us, with extra cheese, because I know you like it. And then...well...I don't want to ruin the surprise."

A surprise? More than a surprise birthday party?! That was unbelievable! "What?! What is it?! What's the surprise?!" he asked.

"Dinner first," Papa said, booping Tony on the nose. "I guarantee you'll enjoy it."

Tony squirmed happily and got off Papa's lap, heading to the dinner table and sitting down in front of one of the plates. He swung his legs happily as Papa grabbed the pizza from the oven and put it in the middle of the table. They each started off with two slices, and ate in relative silence, the only noises being Tony's happy hums as he ate the pizza. Tony was reaching for a third slice when Papa stopped him by closing the box. "I think you're gonna want to hold off on a third slice, kiddo," he said.

"What?" Tony asked. "Why?"

"Your surprise, remember?" Papa asked.

"What is the surprise? Why wouldn't I want to eat more pizza?" Tony asked.

Papa held up one finger and retreated to the kitchen. When he came back, Tony's eyes widened at the sight of a big chocolate cupcake on a plate, topped with blue icing. Papa sang  _Happy Birthday_  to him, and placed the plate almost reverently in front of Tony. "Here ya go, kid," Papa said, ruffling his hair. "A birthday's not complete without some sort of treat for dessert."

Tony looked up at Papa, then down at the cupcake, then at Papa again. A huge grin split his face. "Really?!" he asked. "I really get to have this?!"

"Of course!" Papa said. "It's your birthday kid, you get to live it up a little!"

Tony laughed and picked up the cupcake, peeling off the wrapper and taking a huge bite. Icing went everywhere, but he was too happy at having  _a real birthday_  to care. He ate the cupcake with no small amount of awe, the cake being spongy and the icing the perfect amount of sweet. Papa was watching him with a smile on his face. "I'm glad you like it," Papa said. "I was almost worried the bakery wouldn't have anything, when I saw that."

Tony hummed in acknowledgement and ate until there was nothing left but frosting on his hands and face. Papa laughed and used a couple napkins to get the icing off. Tony looked down and felt kinda bad when he realized he didn't leave any of the cupcake for Papa.

"Hey, kid, no long faces, all right? I know what you're thinking," Papa said. "And I got us one more treat that  _both_  of us can have. The cupcake was always meant to be all yours. But I have a little ice cream in the freezer with both our names on it, if you still have room?"

Tony nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I want ice cream!"

Papa grinned and went back into the kitchen, taking the box of pizza with him. There was the sound of things clattering briefly, then the clink of metal on ceramic, and Papa came back out with two bowls of ice cream of the Rocky Road variety. Tony cheered and Papa just smiled at him. "If you're this excited now, you're gonna love what comes after this."

"There's  _more_?!" Tony asked incredulously.

Papa nodded. "You know what else happens at birthday parties?"

Tony thought back. Usually, there was pizza, cake and ice cream, and...no. No way. "Presents?!" Tony asked.

Papa nodded again, smirking.

Tony whooped. "No way! No way!"

"Yes way!" Papa said, picking up his spoon and taking a bite of ice cream. "But you have to eat your ice cream first!"

Tony laughed and ate with a huge grin on his face. This was almost overwhelming! The fact that Papa did all of this, just for him? He couldn't believe it! Eating the ice cream was almost too slow for him to bear, but he didn't want a tummy ache, so he chose to interrogate Papa about the presents. "Is there toys?"

"Mhm," Papa hummed.

"Is it...is it..." he had no idea what to ask. What kinds of toys would he even get? He could barely believe this!

"Your ice cream is gone. Do you want to stop guessing and find out?" Papa asked.

"Yes!" Tony exclaimed, jumping up and jostling the table.

Papa quickly grabbed the bowls and went to the kitchen, and Tony went back out to the living room. A real birthday party! He couldn't believe it! Papa went to the basement and came back up with three presents, and Tony's eyes widened again. Three?! He got not one gift, but  _three_?!

"Open them up!" Papa encouraged, placing the boxes on the table.

Tony grabbed the first one and tore into the paper, revealing a stuffed dragon, blue and purple and soft all over. "I love him!" Tony exclaimed, giving the dragon a hug.

Papa grinned. "I'm glad. I wasn't quite sure what to get you, but I think you'll like everything here."

Tony opened the next gift, tearing the paper with the same reckless abandon. He gasped when he saw what was inside. "Trains!" he exclaimed.

The train was brightly colored, a bright yellow body and five cars that could be attached, each of them a different color. "This is so cool!" he exclaimed.

"Last one," Papa said, nudging the box closer.

Tony tore open the box and found a little wooden puppy on wheels, a small rope like a leash around his neck. Tony's eyes stung and he cried as he pulled it out, looking it over. It was clear that Papa had handmade this particular toy, and he couldn't believe that Papa would do something that nice for him. "I love it," he said through his tears.

"Are you a little overwhelmed?" Papa asked.

Tony nodded and Papa sat down on the couch next to Tony, hugging him. "It's all right," Papa said.

It was better than all right. Tony had the time of his life in the past hour or so just eating pizza and cake and opening presents. He clung to Papa tighter, willing all of his feelings to be felt in that one gesture. Someone in the world cared about him. He was given gifts and a special dinner just because he lived through another year. He couldn't imagine anything better than this, just getting to sit here with Papa and play.

"Tell you what," Papa said. "I think that because it's your birthday, I'll do one more thing with you."

Tony looked up, surprised that there was  _even more_  to this whole birthday thing.

"I'll let you stay up an extra half hour to play if you want," Papa said.

Tony squealed in delight and hugged Papa again, his "thank you"s muffled by Papa's shirt.

"You're welcome, kiddo," Papa said. "What do you want to play with first?"

Tony looked between his new toys and picked up the train. "Trains!" he said.

Papa laughed. "Okay, we can play trains. What do you want to do with them?"

Tony started explaining that the train was wildly out of control and they had to stop it from flying off the tracks with a big grin on his face, and the conviction that this had to be the best birthday ever.


End file.
